Posters Highlight Seafood Availability by Season and Species

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Katie Mosher, kmosher@ncsu.edu,
Scott Baker, bakers@uncw.edu,
Sara Mirabilio, semirabi@ncsu.edu,

Which seafood is fresh, local and in season in North Carolina throughout the year?  

North Carolina Sea Grant has updated the popular N.C. Seafood Availability Charts. These double-side posters divide the state’s coastal regions by north and south in order to help consumers better understand what is coming to the dock and when.

“The posters are great,” says John M. Aydlett, who leads the Got to be NC Seafood campaign for the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “They help to educate consumers on what’s typically available from North Carolina’s waters in order to make a decision on what species to purchase and prepare.”

Seasonal currents and water temperatures affect which species will occupy the northern and southern regions of the N.C. coast. The state’s harvest regulations, designed to promote sustainability, also can influence the availability of seafood.

“North Carolina Sea Grant has been providing seafood availability posters since the 1970s as part of our outreach to consumers,” says Barry Nash, seafood technology and marketing specialist for North Carolina Sea Grant. “People put them up in markets, restaurants, classrooms and on refrigerators along the coast and beyond.”

The posters use landing data from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) to give consumers a quick overview of which months to expect each species to be available. Brandi Salmon from DMF, along with North Carolina Sea Grant fisheries specialists Sara Mirabilio and Scott Baker, teamed with Nash and Sea Grant communicators to update the charts.

The posters also complement Mariner’s Menu, North Carolina Sea Grant’s extensive and popular online collection of delicious recipes and preparation tips.

“Many people are cooking more meals at home,” says Katie Mosher, North Carolina Sea Grant’s communications director. “They are turning to favorite N.C. seafood, as well as trying options that may be new to them. Sea Grant’s posters, recipes and other information help them bring seafood from market to table for healthy, tasty meals.”

N.C. Seafood Availability Posters are available online now. In December, the next issue of Coastwatch will provide them to readers in print.

N.C. Seafood Availability Posters
go.ncsu.edu/seafood-poster

Mariner’s Menu
MarinersMenu.org

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